Roy Roger’s band, The Sons of the Pioneers are coming through the province celebrating its 85th year.
    The band, which became synonymous with cowboy music has cast a gigantic web of influence over the music industry for more than eight decades. Whether you remember theme from the Roy Rogers movies,  appearances on the Barbara Mandrell show, the soundtrack to Disney’s Pecos Bill, or remembering hearing Tumbling Tumbleweed in the Big Lebowski, most everyone will recall one of their songs.
    The band is led by “trail boss” Tommy Nallie, and in 2018, Roy Roger Jr. “Dusty” joined to share the musical legacy.
    “What a great honour it was for me because my dad started The Sons of the Pioneers back in 1934,” Dusty said. “It is terrific for me because of how many sons get to join the group their father started in 1934, it just doesn’t happen. It is a big honour for me to jump in and carry on that tradition.”
    He says the key to their longevity is the quality of the music.
    “I think it was really good entertainment. Dad and mom started in the music business and went on into the entertainment business and it was the quality of the entertainment and the quality of the songs and scripts and the camaraderie. The Sons of the Pioneers did 42 pictures with dad out of his 88. These movies were musical westerns, they weren’t the typical shoot-em-up movies, they had stories behind them and music and I think that is what everyone kind of resonated with,” said Dusty.
    “People remember the quality of the music, they remember the harmonies they put out and the wonderful songs of the west,” he said.
    He says the band has continued to try and stay true to these roots, and this appeals to a wide audience.
    “We get a lot of young people that come to the show and just love the cowboy music. They have never necessarily been introduced to it but good music is good music,” he said.
    The Sons of the Pioneers are touring Alberta and Saskatchewan as part of its 85th-anniversary tour.  The nearest shows to Drumheller are in Red Deer on June 14, High River on the afternoon of June 16 and in the evening in Airdrie. There is also a show in Camrose on June 17 and Olds on June 18.
    For more information and links to get tickets go to www.sonsofthepioneers.org.

    This fall the fittest of the fittest are hoping to descend on the valley for the X Ultra Marathon.
    The event is being planned by X Warrior Challenge. Already local ultramarathoner Morgan Syvertsen has been busy creating a tentative route. They are planning for the event to take place in Midland Provincial Park.
    “We love the area and we have always wanted to host an event in the Drumheller area, we love the landscape and the terrain,” said Darcy Chalifoux of X Warrior Challenge.
    Syvertsen says he and Karen McMillan met with Chalifoux and toured the area.
    “He was absolutely sold, explains Syvertsen. “He does it differently, does it good. People he is getting out for these events are serious athletes.”
    They have been working on a low impact 50-kilometre route that uses existing established paths and game trails. The race also staggers its starts so there is no mass exodus.
    “We are not going to be creating trails,” said Syvertsen. “Karen McMillan and I went out and found a bunch of really great trails.”
    They are awaiting approval from Alberta Parks for permission to use the park.
    “We are really hoping to work things out with the province, I think it is the right venue for us with a smaller event to make sure we do it right and then see where it goes,” said Chalifoux.
    He said the tentative date is Saturday, September 2. While X Warrior does many kinds of events such as obstacle courses, this will be a straightforward 50-kilometre ultra.
    “It is straight running, four legs, and people can compete as soloists or two teams of four,” said Chalifoux. “Over the last two years seasoned racers in our community, a lot of people are branching out looking for the next endurance event and trail running is certainly a big part of what we do. We listen to our participants.”
    He also understands the economic importance of events such as this.
    “That is the goal. We want to bring everyone in at least the night before. We want people to make a weekend out of it, fill hotels, host a pre-event dinner and raise a little bit of money for charities,“ he said. “We want to make sure the whole community wins so we are not just rolling in and rolling out… that certainly is not what we want to do. We want to to become a part of the community calendar.”
    Those interested can go to www.xwarriorchallenge.com and sign on up a preregistration waitlist. Those on the list will have the first opportunity to sign up when the event is confirmed.
    “The more people getting active, the more we all win, that is our goal with this company. I want more people to get off the couch, functional fitness is everything,” he said.